Outset Professionals

Cubitt Curatorial Fellowship, 2009–2019

Cubitt holds a specific position in London’s visual art landscape as one of the longest running, innovative and well respected artist-run spaces in the UK. Cubitt is an international centre for the development of artistic, curatorial and educational programmes and consists of a public gallery, a large-scale education programme and 32 artist studios.

Cubitt Gallery is renowned internationally for hosting a long established and successful Curatorial Fellowship (previously: Bursary) programme, the only one of its kind in the UK, and one of few in the world. Cubitt’s 18-month curatorial bursary was established in 2001 and was funded by Outset Contemporary Art Fund between 2009-2019. Its aim is to support emerging curators and offer a platform for developing their curatorial practice. The bursary gives a young curator the unique opportunity to develop a programme of exhibitions and events across a fixed period of 18 months.

It is a pioneering curatorial model that is recognised as a crucial opportunity for curators internationally and highlighted as one of the major platforms for curatorial development in Europe. The Curatorial Fellowship is an essential part of Cubitt’s operations and is vital to the ecology of curatorial development in Europe having launched the careers of some of the most significant curators across London and Europe, many of whom are now directing some of the most compelling and influential exhibition spaces internationally.

For the 10th anniversary (2015–16), the Curatorial Bursary was renamed Cubitt Curatorial Fellowship, to reflect important new developments for the Fellow, including salary gain and the chance to contribute to Cubitt’s long term development. This also coincided with a new growth phase for the institution  – with a recent increase in public funding as well as continuous support from Outset since 2009 – constituting a more accessible and substantial opportunity within the sector.

The Outset supported curatorial fellows were:

Helen Nisbet

Morgan Quaintance

Fatima Hellberg

Jamie Stevens

Outset has also supported the Cubitt 25 Years: An Artist Led History documentary.

Thanks to Outset's ongoing support and innovative philanthropic vision, Cubitt has been able to run its Curatorial Fellowship as a unique opportunity that allows greater artistic and research freedom at times when this cannot necessarily be taken for granted. It is wonderful to feel part of the Outset family and we are excited about continuing to nurture and challenge the discourse on independent artistic practice together.

Fabio Altamura, Gallery Projects and Development Manager, CUBITT